却 (què) — (adverb) but, yet, however (indicating contrast or unexpectedness)
Definition
却 (què) is a written/literary 'but, yet' meaning "contrary to expectation" — stronger contrast than spoken 不过. Sits after the surprising clause to highlight an unexpected result.
adverb
butyethowever (indicating contrast or unexpectedness)
Examples
- ，却。Tiān qì hěn lěng, què tā chuān dé hěn shǎo.The weather is very cold, yet he wears very little.
- ，却。Tā xué xí hěn nǔ lì, chéng jì què bù hǎo.He studies very hard, but his grades are not good.
- ，却。Wǒ yǐ wéi tā zhī dào zhè jiàn shì, tā què shén me dōu bù zhī dào.I thought he knew about this matter, yet he knows nothing at all.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 卻; 却 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
卩卩jié
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧮫
𧮫𧮫卻què
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 卻 uses 𧮫 for sound and 卩 for meaning; the simplified 却 is a shorthand.
Grammar
Appears in
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